Travel blogger interview: Luke Marlin from Backstreet Nomad

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m an Australian, work full-time in finance spending weekends and annual leave traveling to the max. All my spare time is spent writing or promoting the blog. Outside of work and blog, brew beer, drink beer, watch football (up the Spurs!), play football, and play with my one year old son.

What inspired you to travel?

I was fortunate enough that my parents took me overseas many times growing. A few places we went together were Thailand, Hong Kong, Bali, USA, and the UK. Then when I was 21 I moved to England for a semester “studying” abroad, though I think what it became was a study in European beer and capitals. I travel to experience other cultures and see how other people live, eat, and drink. We all live in our own little bubbles, and it is my goal to see as many bubbles as I can while I’m alive and able.

Tell us about your blog

I first started a blog in 2010 when I was in England. Although it has a different name and location on the internet, this was the first iteration. This blog only contained my trips throughout Europe and life in the UK and it was inactive for a few years post. In 2014 I started Backstreet Nomad and it has grown from something just for friends and family into something that I think provides real value to any traveler who comes across it. I focus on retelling my adventures and writing in-depth guides, sometimes at the same time. I have a keen interest in photography, a skill which I think is getting better and better, and this imagery also forms a key part of the blog.

How do you afford to travel? Do you blog full-time?

Bar Beach in Newcastle, Australia

I am not a person who actually wants to be on the road full-time. Not only does that sound exhausting, but I have so many great friends in Newcastle that I couldn’t leave behind indefinitely. I also have a job I love and that pays well so that helps. Since I work full-time I am able to save for vacations and travel, plus, having a blog that has a reasonable following I am fortunate enough that I occasionally get some things for free.

How do you like to travel?

I usually travel for a few weeks at a time, so as to make the most of the cost of flights and time off. And it usually a combination of adventure and exploring, and a relaxing beach break. I think it’s important to have both, otherwise it will never feel like a vacation.

What has been your favourite destination, and why?

Bat island in Labuanbajo, Indonesia

I visited Indonesia last year, which is such a beautiful and underrated country. In particular, my favourite place was Labuanbajo, a short flight from Bali. A group of us spent 2 days island hopping throughout Komodo National Park, seeing beaches, hikes, incredible sunsets, and the legendary Komodo Dragon.

What are the top 3 destinations on your bucket list?

Norway is number 1; the pull of the fjords is very strong on me. Number 2 is Tanzania: I’d love to climb Kilamanjaro and see wild game. Number 3 is Bolivia: from my research it just sounds like the most geographically diverse country in the world.

Tell us about your best and worst travel experiences!

Best travel experience

One of my best experiences was running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. I’ve never felt a rush like it as those bulls run past.

Worst travel experience

Worst experience would be booking a connecting flight for the wrong day, leaving me stranded in Brussels because my flight left the day before. I was supposed to connect to Barcelona, but was fooled by my first flight landing the morning after taking off.